For Melissa Taylor, a resident of the Sorrento, Jubilee has brought not only justice but also freedom.
At age 45, in the same week that she purchased a home, Taylor was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a debilitating disease that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Within two years, she became blind in one eye, lost the use of her right arm, and needed a cane. She eventually lost the ability to walk. But Taylor remained positive. She focused on using her talents to the best of her ability.
“One minute I was living the life I had always wanted. The next, I had lost my home and had to live in a nursing home,” she said. “When I was able to get into the Sorrento, I felt free. It was lovely. I wouldn’t have had that without Jubilee.”
With the help of attorney Marjorie Rifkin and D.C.’s Money Follows the Person Project, which provides funds for individuals with disabilities to live independently, Taylor returned to the community. Initially, Jubilee Housing was on the list of referrals for the project.
Unlike the other apartments that Taylor visited—which claimed to be accessible for people with disabilities—Jubilee’s apartments were truly ADA compliant, Taylor said. They had spacious layouts with ample room for her motorized wheelchair, light switches located at accessible heights, and kitchens with cabinets that were easy for her to open from her wheelchair, for example.
Taylor now has a home she can afford, in a neighborhood she had known and enjoyed before her MS, where she has access to opportunities to grow and to help others do the same. Most importantly, she’s no longer living in an institution. She’s experiencing the benefits of justice housing.
“MS humbled me in ways I did not expect,” she said. “But I wanted to be part of a solution, not a problem. So, I took Jubilee’s leadership class. I joined Jubilee’s Resident Council. Recently, I stepped down from the council and am now the building liaison for the Sorrento. I remain impressed by Jubilee’s efforts to provide services residents need and to help them take advantage of the resources around them.”